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I’ve been reading news reports today of a gang of folks, calling themselves “OccupyGoogle,” who went to Google’s Mountain View campus to protest and get arrested. What on earth do these folks hope to accomplish? Lashing out at a big company because they’re frustrated by something they can’t control? Mission accomplished. Getting us closer to the goal of an open Internet, nope. Continue reading →

This fall, men and women will have to decide if candidates like Rep. Cory Gardner and GOP State House (HD-50) candidate, Isaiah Aricayos, are sincere in their repudiation of previously held positions against women’s reproductive rights.

Yesterday, he and Brett Abernathy moved to remove Don Mueller as President of the Weld County Council, claiming that Mueller acted inappropriately, and misled the public during the Council’s session discussing the legality of the County Commission’s decision to put the 51st State Question on the ballot earlier this month. Are you <bleeping> kidding me? Continue reading →

As I understood it, one of the driving motivators for the formation of a new state is “onerous” environmental regulation, including the awful things we make oil and gas companies do, like… paying to clean up the messes they make.

Now, Wyoming is planning on requiring companies to test groundwater before beginning operations.

Sounds like a great idea, to me. Whether the motivation is to protect the water, or to protect the company from unfair allegations, it seems to me that it’s better to be able to quantify the impact on groundwater.

But, I guess that means we can’t join Wyoming, now. I guess it’s gonna be Kansas or Nebraska?

According to Secretary of State filings, the only winner in the whole 51st State initiative seems to have been Jeffrey Hare, who seems to have profited to the tune of almost $10,000.00. Continue reading →

There is a great post over at ColoradoPols discussing, at reasonable length that Larry “Machine Gun” Pratt, and Gun Owners of America have endorsed Ken Buck in the Republican primary battle for Senate. I think it bears mentioning that Ken Buck has embraced that endorsement. Continue reading →

I am a Weld County resident. I have lived here for the majority of my life – I grew up in Greeley, went to College at UNC, and am raising a child here.

Recently, our County Commission has launched a public relations campaign (for I can think of nothing else to call it) suggesting that Weld County leave Colorado and form a new state. The Commission is suggesting that this campaign is the fault of urban legislators who refuse to listen.

I would like to suggest to you that this is far from the case.

We feel under- or unrepresented for one reason, and one reason only. We persist in the election of extreme political fundamentalists – representatives incapable of compromise, or of working, in good faith, with people with whom they disagree. Look at the legislative history of Senator Scott Renfroe, or of Representatives Buck and Humphrey. They operate in an insular group made up exclusively of like-minded extremists.

It is unreasonable for the people of Weld County to blame you because we sent anti-social representatives the the capitol, and are angry that the rest of the legislature will not do as they say.

I am, however, concerned at your actions regarding our crazed secession efforts. These efforts represent nothing more than a temper tantrum from elected officials who are now seeing the consequences of their my-way-or-the-highway, fundamentalist governing style. Our officials are acting like small children who are being denied candy because they have not eaten dinner.

One does not give those children candy, and one should not reinforce the behavior by paying a large amount of attention.

The proper action here is to simply ignore the tantrum, and I encourage you to do so.

Thank you for your term of considered governance. I don’t always agree with you, but I appreciate your approach, and your interest in consensus. I will support your reelection.

Anyone in Weld County who really believes the disconnect exists, and that it’s Denver’s fault, however, will not support you, whether you “lean in” (nice implication in that phrase, by the way), or not.

Last night, Weld County voters decided not to pursue the idea of leaving Colorado and attempting to form a new state. I have to admit, I am a bit sad that voters shut the idea down. I thought the idea made for great commentary. I also thought that Commissioner Conway and Councilman Hare were successfully reducing the GOP dialog to the absurd. But, Mr. Conway’s comments to the Tribune last night seem to indicate that I’m going to have lots of stuff to write about for the foreseeable future. Continue reading →

It wouldn’t be election day if I weren’t making some totally from-the-hip, back-of-the-envelope, wild-a**-guess prognostication about the election. So, based on nothing at all but my gut, here you are. I’m predicting that tomorrow’s election will finish as follows: Continue reading →